WITH THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE LIFE PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The objectives of the Lesswatt project

The main objective of the Lesswatt project is the development of an innovative tool for assessing and minimizing both direct and indirect contributions to Carbon FootPrint (CFP) of aerated compartments in Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF).

Innovative technology

The innovative technology is composed of an instrument (LESSDRONE) for monitoring the oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) in operating conditions and a user-friendly protocol for converting complex process information in actions aimed at minimizing WRRFs CFP and energy demand.

Energy and GHGs reduction

The reduction of energy costs and the minimization of GreenHouses Gases (GHGs) emissions, complying with the quality effluent limits, will improve the environmental and economic sustainability of WRRFs while reducing associated costs for citizens and industries.

Transferability

The applicability and the suitability of the innovative tool will represent a crucial issue of the project in order to ensure the transferability to other WRRFs also operating in different contexts and industrial sectors.

The Context

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) are characterized by a high energy demand most of which is due to aeration of oxidation tanks.

Aerobic activated sludge processes are the most used technology for wastewater treatment. Therefore, the optimization of the oxygen transfer process can significantly reduce energy costs and Carbon FootPrint (CFP).

The innovative technology

LESSDRONE is an automated, wireless and self-moving device for the assessment of oxygen transfer efficiency and GHGs emissions from the aerated tanks.

The innovative technology foresees the implementation of a protocol, a model based user-friendly tool, which integrates data from the LESSDRONE, processes information and external inputs, and translates these in applicable actions aimed at minimizing CFP footprint.

The strategy

The innovative tool will be developed in a large plant located in one of the most important European tannery district (Tuscany, Italy) with complex influent and configuration selected in order to cope with most of potentially present problems.

The size of the plant is significant from both organic load and influent flow point of view. The protocol optimization in different WRRFs around Europe will ensure the transferability of the technology. The innovative tool will be implemented and optimized during the project activity in 3 Italian WRRFs (S.Colombano, Tuscany; Sestri Ponente, Liguria and Roma est, Lazio) and 2 north European WRRFs (Eindhoven and Tilburg, The Netherland).